First Big Snow, Teacher Soldier Dress Up, Massage Treat

 

Christmas Party Talent Show

In my class for our christmas party the kids put on a little talent show which included much "dancing" and kung fu and harmonica playing, magic tricks that weren't really magic nor even tricks, girls doing splits and backbends on the dirty floor, and push-ups, one kid did push-ups kind of.

Christmas Talent Show

Getting Close.

I haven't been taking many photos lately. Guess I think I'm seeing the same things from the same distance. Most of my subjects tend to be mid-range, like this shot. It has more to do with my preference for mid-range shots, I like having lots of context in a photo. So I am going to go close-range as much as possible, just because I need the practice. I need a nice flash. I think I will attempt to make a ring flash, like that of my photo-hero Martin Parr. It makes the light hit fairly evenly, but makes things slightly irradescent. It was used a lot in fashion photography, such as this fashion puppy.
 

The Dirty Driver

Its common knowledge around the school that this man here has some kind of a fixation/infatuation for me. It started last Febuary, when he drove a group of us to a bar in a faraway district. Despite being our hired driver, he spent the evening squishing up next to me and a few other foriegn gals at the bar, and polishing off drinks when people turned their backs (I know I watched him from the second storey-while in hiding). Later that night he chased me and Matt down a street screaming "I love you" in whiney high pitched squeal. We took refuge in a lobby of empty building, managed to ascend a few stories and spy on him down on the street. Then we watched in horror has he shadowboxed to himself and flailed around under a street lamp. It was highly memorable. Then with all of us bundled in, he drove the van home on the freeway pushing a max speed of 20-25 mph all the while staring at me in the rearview mirror and honking the horn to get my attention. Then, if I looked up, he'd say I love you, or something else in weird English. Most unnerving.

Since then I have had many a street encounter, though less than my other collegues who mostly despise him. I think he is pretty innocent and ninety-percent composed of hysteria and giggliness, which I find amusing actually. His problem is his persistence, he doesn't usually go away once he sees me, or anyone he knows for that matter. Everytime I pass him he hugs me or attempts to and we usually end up in a swirl pull-away; and for some reason he will insist on driving me to Sanlitun (one hour away) everytime I see him despite whatever I am doing. On several occasion he has hug-attacked me while I was jogging by his corner. Its a bit of a bear wrestle spinning free, but like I said, I think its innocent. He has often jumped in front of me while I ride by on my bike. And today, he jumped in front of my camera. Surprise is his M.O. Today, he said (in chinese, of course) that I "ride my bike most excellently." Geez, I mean that's a nice not-too-dirty thing to say, right? Maybe he is reforming.

 

Its beginning to seem a lot like Christmas, everywhere I go.

Hualian Department Store

KFC handwashing station.

 

90%

Feeling 90% normal after self-prescribing Furosemide, which I was able to find and purchase (18 rmb) from the pharmacy around the corner. 

About my Away-time.

It’s most un-shiny and comes with no photographic accompaniment, thus I try to keep it from the blog. But the last couple weeks were very bad health-wise, and there were/are some problems being dealt with here in my world. Work was missed, hospitals were visited, money was spent, and horrible sickness was had/is still being had. General feeling regarding health is of frustration and near-deafetedness. Strange that I avoid being specific when it comes to these matters, but I suppose I don’t really want my blog to be my grump-log or misery documentation. I consider it more a pseudo-personal account of encounters with good small things and ambiguous small bad (not even bad) things. I don’t think of this as a journal, and therefore I have left so much out, maybe interesting, juicy, or funny stuff. This has more to do with me living the interesting, juicy, funny stuff than writing about it, plus, I like leaving something to tell people when I talk or write to them individually. The good-news is that during all this non-productive sick time at home I have been reading about and devising some new traveling photography/book idea projects for the upcoming adventure in March. I shall write more later, but here is a teaser: SHOESONAFARMER!

Busy B's.

I was standing on my usual corner, waiting for the Aihua bus, when I noticed a couple dudes roll up casually with these TV double-loaded bikes; and so I chatted with one of the dudes as I took there picture. Then he walked off and I turned around and started snapping some of people speeding around the corner. Then my battery started dying and I turned back around 2 minutes later, and along the wall were another 2 bikes lined up behind them. The new bikes had a whole computer set strapped to the rear rack and the other one--this is mad!-had a full-sized refridgerator strapped with bike tubes to the side of the rearrack. HOW could anyone even ride the bike? I wished I had seen, but they appeared instantaneously behind my back. And then my bus came and all the teachers were saying "OH MY GOD Look at that bike with the refridgerator did you get the picture?" and what a jerk, my battery died.

 

Mantou (steamed bread) steamers.

Haulin' Trailer Tricycle.

The Classic Beijing Bike and basket.

Compact pedal-charging electric bike.

 

Ladyfriend.

Sack of dried tofu.

Bike mounted street sweepers. Their "docking bay" is just around the corner from my house and on an early morning I can see them, all 20 or so of them, usually cherubic older women, launching out slowly, creeking down the street. They sweep up using these bristley twig brooms the chinese are so fond of--see the brooms poking out the back?

He's not a bike, but he's a dog carrier, and that's alright, I say.